Generally, personal electronic devices take a plurality of forms and are manufactured using available materials which provide a balance of durability and function. Many electronic devices include a plurality of internal components that are assembled into a functional unit to which a housing is “snapped” over. For example, devices having plastic housings or covers are typically formed as standalone devices absent a housing, and after testing and/or inspection, have a flexible or relatively flexible plastic housing applied thereon.
However, if several external features such as buttons, switches, or the like are part of the device's design, application of the housing after external feature assembly can cause damage to the edges of the housing (e.g., while snapping the housing over buttons), cosmetic defects (e.g., deflection, discoloration, and/or chipping of decorations/cosmetic surfaces), and in some cases breaking of the housing or external features.
Therefore, what is desired are innovations in device structures and assembly methodologies which overcome these and other drawbacks.